So it was my oldest child's Kindergarten year. She was officially waived from public school. My husband said he would teach her when he got home from work. That whole year was a little foggy for me. I had a baby #5 in October and got pregnant again in April. I almost gave birth to that baby #5 at home. That would have been quite a science lesson. But we made it to the hospital in the nick of time. If I remember correctly, we even put the house on the market that fall because we felt like moving into a house with a different floor plan. But the house didn't sell, and we never moved.
All I really remember from that year is sitting on the couch with a newborn baby a LOT and reading beginner reader books with my daughter. I remember a lot of Spongebob too. Our second child turned four in November of that year. We bought him the book, Go Dog Go, for his birthday. When he opened it, he immediately began to read the whole thing aloud! Neither my husband nor I even knew he could read. So apparently he was catching on to everything that I was teaching my daughter by sitting on the couch with us. By the end of the school year my daughter was reading chapter books, such as the Magic Tree House Series.
One of the most common questions we were asked when we began homeschooling was, "What curriculum do you use?" The first time I was asked that question I was caught off guard. I didn't even know what that question meant. I would fumble and say something like, "Umm. Oh, yeah...curriculum...well...um...we don't use one? We are kind of just making it up." Then I would feel foolish for not having a plan and guilty for not using one of these curriculums they were speaking of. So up until this point I didn't know there were formal expensive curriculums. When I did find out, I wondered why people would buy them, especially for the early elementary ages. We were getting along with simple books, toys, inexpensive workbooks, and some TV....or a lot of TV, especially during the first trimester of a pregnancy. To this day my kids still reference specific Spongebob episodes that have taught them a concept. Don't underestimate the value of what seem to be nonsense cartoons. (Phineas and Ferb is my favorite.) :)
So when moms ask what curriculum they should use for Kindergarten I smile. Then I usually comment, "Read and play." I know it worked for us. It turns out that my husband didn't actually do a whole lot of formal teaching when he got home from work that first year. We mostly ate dinner as a family and had family time in the evenings. However, the following year, we became more formal with our schooling....and it was not a good decision...(to be continued.)
I know I didn't cover a whole lot today. Today we have been celebrating that oldest child's 15th birthday!! She got her driver's permit today. We've come a long way since that first year of homeschool! Since I was brief, if you have questions, you can ask them in the comments. :)
All I really remember from that year is sitting on the couch with a newborn baby a LOT and reading beginner reader books with my daughter. I remember a lot of Spongebob too. Our second child turned four in November of that year. We bought him the book, Go Dog Go, for his birthday. When he opened it, he immediately began to read the whole thing aloud! Neither my husband nor I even knew he could read. So apparently he was catching on to everything that I was teaching my daughter by sitting on the couch with us. By the end of the school year my daughter was reading chapter books, such as the Magic Tree House Series.
One of the most common questions we were asked when we began homeschooling was, "What curriculum do you use?" The first time I was asked that question I was caught off guard. I didn't even know what that question meant. I would fumble and say something like, "Umm. Oh, yeah...curriculum...well...um...we don't use one? We are kind of just making it up." Then I would feel foolish for not having a plan and guilty for not using one of these curriculums they were speaking of. So up until this point I didn't know there were formal expensive curriculums. When I did find out, I wondered why people would buy them, especially for the early elementary ages. We were getting along with simple books, toys, inexpensive workbooks, and some TV....or a lot of TV, especially during the first trimester of a pregnancy. To this day my kids still reference specific Spongebob episodes that have taught them a concept. Don't underestimate the value of what seem to be nonsense cartoons. (Phineas and Ferb is my favorite.) :)
So when moms ask what curriculum they should use for Kindergarten I smile. Then I usually comment, "Read and play." I know it worked for us. It turns out that my husband didn't actually do a whole lot of formal teaching when he got home from work that first year. We mostly ate dinner as a family and had family time in the evenings. However, the following year, we became more formal with our schooling....and it was not a good decision...(to be continued.)
I know I didn't cover a whole lot today. Today we have been celebrating that oldest child's 15th birthday!! She got her driver's permit today. We've come a long way since that first year of homeschool! Since I was brief, if you have questions, you can ask them in the comments. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment